Patrick Blanchenay
@pblanchenay.bsky.social
Global Evaluations and Research Advisor at Norwegian Church Aid (Oslo). Opinions not my employer's. Making aid impact better documented, and aid work more evidence -based. Previously assistant prof (teaching) at U. Toronto; OECD. PhD Economics.
The dream of any NGO.
November 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
The dream of any NGO.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
A 🧵:
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
January 12, 2025 at 9:44 AM
A 🧵:
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
1/x?
The ancient hydraulic marvel of the Marib Dam:
“It is between three mountains, and the flood waters all flow to the one location, and because of that the water only discharges in one direction; and the ancients blocked that place with hard rocks and lead.
(cont 👇)
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Hearing news that Carl Dieffenbach, the Director of the Division of AIDS at #NIH (NIAID), has been removed from his position because he was "not aligned with HHS/OMB."
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
November 24, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Hearing news that Carl Dieffenbach, the Director of the Division of AIDS at #NIH (NIAID), has been removed from his position because he was "not aligned with HHS/OMB."
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Russell Vought continues to remove great scientists as part of the Project 2025 mission to politicize and destroy NIH.
🧪 1/
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
November 23, 2025 at 12:55 PM
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
The European Parliament's far right scored a major victory last week when the center-right EPP worked with them to press ahead with plans to cut green rules.
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
The European Parliament's far right scored a major victory last week when the center-right EPP worked with them to press ahead with plans to cut green rules.
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
Now, the far right has its eyes set on migrants, cars and red tape.
🔗 politi.co/485yw3V
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
"Créer un peu de bonheur, ça n'a pas de prix", Nathalie Rabusseau et l'escalade comme moteur d'inclusion.
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
"Créer un peu de bonheur, ça n'a pas de prix", Nathalie Rabusseau et l'escalade comme moteur d'inclusion
Passionnée d'escalade depuis trois ans, Nathalie Rabusseau a créé Climbing Bitches, une communauté basée sur l'inclusion. Pour aller plus loin, elle a fondé la déclinaison associative en 2024. Avec Ha...
www.radiofrance.fr
November 23, 2025 at 10:13 AM
"Créer un peu de bonheur, ça n'a pas de prix", Nathalie Rabusseau et l'escalade comme moteur d'inclusion.
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
Rencontre avec celle qui organise des sorties pour les publics fragilisés.
www.radiofrance.fr/francecultur...
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
He's not challenging "orthodoxy", he's ignoring data. Stop dancing around his disinformation campaign and call it what it is -- an all out attack on Science and America's place in the scientific world.
November 21, 2025 at 6:58 PM
He's not challenging "orthodoxy", he's ignoring data. Stop dancing around his disinformation campaign and call it what it is -- an all out attack on Science and America's place in the scientific world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_of... In August 2014, the beard accidentally became detached from the mask when it was taken out of its display case for cleaning. The museum workers responsible used quick-drying epoxy in an attempt to fix it, leaving the beard off-cente
Mask of Tutankhamun - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 22, 2025 at 9:09 PM
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_of... In August 2014, the beard accidentally became detached from the mask when it was taken out of its display case for cleaning. The museum workers responsible used quick-drying epoxy in an attempt to fix it, leaving the beard off-cente
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
France has added Musk’s Grok to an ongoing cybercrime investigation after it produced French-language posts echoing Holocaust denial about Auschwitz.
November 22, 2025 at 1:29 PM
France has added Musk’s Grok to an ongoing cybercrime investigation after it produced French-language posts echoing Holocaust denial about Auschwitz.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Find someone that looks at you the way that universities look at AI
November 22, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Find someone that looks at you the way that universities look at AI
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
“adversarial poetry”??? holy shit
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
November 20, 2025 at 7:22 PM
“adversarial poetry”??? holy shit
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
who wants to hire me and @pa.ulst.ar to be white hat poet ronin, I’m so serious right now
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Woah!
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
Forthcoming in AEJ: Economic Policy: "Collective Bargaining Rights, Policing, and Civilian Deaths" by Jamein P. Cunningham and Rob Gillezeau. www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=...
Collective Bargaining Rights, Policing, and Civilian Deaths
(Forthcoming Article) - Using an event-study design, we examine whether states' introduction of duty to bargain requirements for police unions led to meaningful changes in civilians killed by law enfo...
www.aeaweb.org
November 20, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Woah!
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
📌 Need to read the full paper
Police bargaining rights explain 14% of civilian deaths. (What about serious injury but not quite death?)
#econsky
TIL online based surveys were ever considered appropriate for research.
new paper by Sean Westwood:
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
With current technology, it is impossible to tell whether survey respondents are real or bots. Among other things, makes it easy for bad actors to manipulate outcomes. No good news here for the future of online-based survey research
November 18, 2025 at 8:38 PM
TIL online based surveys were ever considered appropriate for research.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
A stock of U.S.-bought birth control, meant for sub-Saharan Africa, goes bad in Belgium
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
A stock of U.S.-bought birth control, meant for sub-Saharan Africa, goes bad in Belgium
Millions of dollars worth of contraceptives have been stored in Belgium since the U.S. froze foreign aid. A local official says some products were stored improperly and are largely unusable.
www.npr.org
November 18, 2025 at 5:38 AM
A stock of U.S.-bought birth control, meant for sub-Saharan Africa, goes bad in Belgium
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
www.npr.org/sections/goa...
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
86 million girls were vaccinated as part of a campaign led by Gavi. Its HPV vaccination program is a key piece of WHO's global strategy to put cervical cancer on a path to elimination. But the pace of its progress is now under threat after unexpected funding cuts by the US government.
US funding cuts imperil global efforts to eliminate cervical cancer | CNN
Maina Modu, an immunization officer in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state, lost his wife, Hauwa, to cervical cancer in 2011. She was one of the 349,000 women globally who die from the preventable canc...
www.cnn.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:01 AM
86 million girls were vaccinated as part of a campaign led by Gavi. Its HPV vaccination program is a key piece of WHO's global strategy to put cervical cancer on a path to elimination. But the pace of its progress is now under threat after unexpected funding cuts by the US government.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
ICIJ's latest investigation The #CoinLaundry is a collaboration of 113 journalists from 38 media partners in 35 countries that exposes how cryptocurrency companies have empowered a shadow economy that lavishly profits from crime.
Here are our findings:
Here are our findings:
November 17, 2025 at 3:08 PM
ICIJ's latest investigation The #CoinLaundry is a collaboration of 113 journalists from 38 media partners in 35 countries that exposes how cryptocurrency companies have empowered a shadow economy that lavishly profits from crime.
Here are our findings:
Here are our findings:
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
When states like Colorado passed policies requiring employers to disclose salary information in job postings, what happened?
It increased competition, and raised wages, without harming employment or changing skill requirements.
Improved functioning of markets, helped workers.
It increased competition, and raised wages, without harming employment or changing skill requirements.
Improved functioning of markets, helped workers.
November 17, 2025 at 4:41 PM
When states like Colorado passed policies requiring employers to disclose salary information in job postings, what happened?
It increased competition, and raised wages, without harming employment or changing skill requirements.
Improved functioning of markets, helped workers.
It increased competition, and raised wages, without harming employment or changing skill requirements.
Improved functioning of markets, helped workers.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
UK warned that 15% cut to health fund will force ‘impossible choices’ on Africa
UK warned that 15% cut to health fund will force ‘impossible choices’ on Africa
Advocates fear that other donors will follow Britain’s reduction to the Global Fund for Aids, TB and malaria
The UK is undermining its legacy in fighting infectious diseases including Aids and malaria by cutting money pledged to a leading global health fund, campaigners claim.
The 15% reduction in the contribution to the Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced this week – in a year when the UK, alongside South Africa, is co-host of the fund’s replenishment drive – risks encouraging other countries to cut back commitments as well, advocates fear.
The Gates Foundation is a major private contributor to the Global Fund. The foundation also contributes to theguardian.org, which funds independent journalism at the Guardian Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:12 AM
UK warned that 15% cut to health fund will force ‘impossible choices’ on Africa
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
PEPFAR is at an inflection point as the US moves toward country ownership & more gov-to-gov support—alongside reduced financial assistance. In a new brief, @rachelbonnifield.bsky.social & @jmadankeller.bsky.social outline a 3-track framework for a responsible transition:
https://go.cgdev.org/4oDrN8v
https://go.cgdev.org/4oDrN8v
Tough Times, Tough Choices: Charting PEPFAR’s Next Chapter While Safeguarding its Legacy
The Trump administration and key congressional lawmakers are shaping a new US government approach to the future of PEPFAR, alongside other global health programs like malaria and tuberculosis. We prop...
go.cgdev.org
November 14, 2025 at 8:55 PM
PEPFAR is at an inflection point as the US moves toward country ownership & more gov-to-gov support—alongside reduced financial assistance. In a new brief, @rachelbonnifield.bsky.social & @jmadankeller.bsky.social outline a 3-track framework for a responsible transition:
https://go.cgdev.org/4oDrN8v
https://go.cgdev.org/4oDrN8v
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
So would we, we worship the raccoon
www.blogto.com/city/2025/07...
www.blogto.com/city/2025/07...
Famous dead Toronto raccoon just got a permanent memorial
Conrad the Raccoon, the most famous raccoon to ever live (and die) in Toronto, now has a plaque commemorating his heartbreaking death, ten years on.
…
www.blogto.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:10 PM
So would we, we worship the raccoon
www.blogto.com/city/2025/07...
www.blogto.com/city/2025/07...
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
my personal favourite 'hubris of man: gothic edition" is beauvais cathedral in france, of which they only built a third because it kept collapsing, and has been held up by temporary braces since, uh, the 1990s. genuinely you should go see it before it collapses because it will
November 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
my personal favourite 'hubris of man: gothic edition" is beauvais cathedral in france, of which they only built a third because it kept collapsing, and has been held up by temporary braces since, uh, the 1990s. genuinely you should go see it before it collapses because it will
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
The brilliant Karl Popper:
A good ruler is accountable.
A good ruler is constrained.
A good ruler is not larger than life.
A good ruler is only a facilitator.
A good ruler is not a ruler.
A good ruler is accountable.
A good ruler is constrained.
A good ruler is not larger than life.
A good ruler is only a facilitator.
A good ruler is not a ruler.
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 AM
The brilliant Karl Popper:
A good ruler is accountable.
A good ruler is constrained.
A good ruler is not larger than life.
A good ruler is only a facilitator.
A good ruler is not a ruler.
A good ruler is accountable.
A good ruler is constrained.
A good ruler is not larger than life.
A good ruler is only a facilitator.
A good ruler is not a ruler.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
Brexit reduced the UK’s GDP by between 6% and 8%. That is MASSIVE. #ProjectFear #wetoldyouso
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
November 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Brexit reduced the UK’s GDP by between 6% and 8%. That is MASSIVE. #ProjectFear #wetoldyouso
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
Reposted by Patrick Blanchenay
![@nathanwpyle - Mimolette is a French cheese which has learned to mimic cantaloupe to escape predators [pic of a bunch of cantaloupe looking cheeses]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lxm3v43kiuo4gdun45a4zivh/bafkreideh5y4enffko3yzxrrmiy7rebnrb7wisktfuuypqnclmzp22uouq@jpeg)